Panasonic GX1 vs Pentax WS80

The following is a extensive analysis of the Panasonic GX1 and Pentax WS80, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Waterproof by competitors Panasonic and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the GX1 (16MP) and WS80 (10MP) and the GX1 (Four Thirds) and WS80 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The GX1 was brought out 2 years after the WS80 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Panasonic GX1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax WS80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the GX1 scores vs the WS80 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 & Pentax Optio WS80. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GX1 Gallery & Pentax WS80 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and dimensions. The Panasonic GX1 has physical measurements of 116mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") and a weight of 318 grams (0.70 lbs) and the Pentax WS80 has dimensions of 92mm x 60mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.4" x 0.9") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GX1 and Pentax WS80 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the GX1 against the WS80.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the GX1 and WS80 is 87 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions only by reading through technical specs. The pic here will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the GX1 and WS80.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The GX1 due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Panasonic GX1 will resolve more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The fresher GX1 should have an edge in sensor tech.